High New Zealand demand persists for new generation Suzuki Jimny

Strong demand for the instantly recognised Suzuki Jimny in New Zealand has continued to accelerate with orders pre-sold for nine months.

“There has been no reduction in buyer enthusiasm since the fourth generation Jimny arrived on our shores a year ago, despite an order bank and customers having to wait,” said Gary Collins, General Manager of Automobile Marketing for Suzuki New Zealand.

Suzuki has just taken the 1,000th local order for the new model and sales quickly bounced back post lock-down due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

“The volume of sales is purely a reflection of our allocation and we could clearly have registered more sales had we been able to secure extra units,” said Collins. World wide demand for the Jimny continues to outstrip supply and every example that arrives in New Zealand has an owner’s name on it.

Suzuki says there is also the potential for a shortage of vehicles in future on other models due to production facilities having been temporarily closed as a result of the Covid-19 virus.

Named winner of a British game-changer award last year, the diminutive four-wheel-drive Jimny is acclaimed as one of the few cars that has no peers.

Independent critics rated the 3.48 metre long Suzuki as fun, innovative and “a fantastic piece of practical design in an era of big and heavy SUVs.” The Jimny shows off the huge advantages of being light and compact.

The versatile model was declared the 2019 World Urban Car at the annual awards in New York while also being named one of the top three finalists in the World Car Design of the Year by a panel of international journalists.

Toshihiro Suzuki, president of Suzuki Motor Corporation, said the Jimny was the one and only compact, authentic off-roader that had kept true to this concept for almost 50 years. “It now has many fans around the world, who enjoy its excellent performance and one-of-a-kind functional design, both on and off-road,” he said.

The Jimny already earns a high ranking for strong residual values, and in Britain leading industry specialists CAP Automotive forecasts the model’s “very slow depreciation and good retained value” offers good peace of mind to owners.

Unlike most other cars, Jimny has a rigid ladder frame, high ground clearance and part time 4WD system with low range transfer gear. Heart of the car is an efficient 1.5 litre, 16-valve engine, and the model is available with either a four-stage automatic transmission or five speed manual gearbox.

Standard equipment includes limited-slip differential traction control, hill hold and hill descent functions, cruise control and speed limiter. Lane departure warning, weaving alert, headlight high beam assist, autonomous emergency braking and six airbags are also included in Jimmy’s specification.

Recommended retail prices for the 2020 model Jimny with a five year warranty package and comprehensive roadside assistance start from a recommended $25,990 plus on-road costs.

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